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Friday, Jul 27, 2018 02:43 PM

Daboll: QB not the only wide open competition

Chris Brown

Bills Insider

The quarterback competition will naturally be a polarizing subject at Bills training camp summer with the three-way battle now underway. But Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll confirmed that there's another position that's wide open too.

Namely wide receiver, where after Kelvin Benjamin and veteran Jeremy Kerley there is a host of unproven talent at the NFL level.

"Yeah, I think it is (wide open)," said Daboll of the receiver position. "What a great opportunity to have as a player. To come in here and compete and show your worth. Get better every day. You get opportunities you make them."

It sounds as though Daboll knows what he has in Kelvin Benjamin and might be seeking receiving talent that can stretch the field as a complement. That doesn't mean he needs the fastest player to accomplish that. There are different route combinations and play calls to get passing targets behind the defense.

"We have a lot of guys that are working and competing right now to stretch the field and we'll see how it goes this summer," said Daboll. "We've got to make sure we can come out and string some good days together. In training camp you're going to have good and bad days just like you are in the season. That's part of what tests your mental toughness at times."

Daboll was asked if he'd prefer a decision to be made on who the starting quarterback will be, sooner rather than later. The experienced assistant coach is convinced the answer will be clear in due time.

"I think whenever the decision is made will be the right time," he said. "We'll do our due diligence collectively as a staff. Our head coach will make a decision along with input from the rest of us. We'll know the right time.

"They'll have plenty of time to compete and work with some different units and different guys. They're all required to know everything that we're putting in and work with different guys and see where we're at. Every day will be an evaluation process just like it is for everybody. Whether it's the center position, a guard position, receiver. That's where we're at. We'll evaluate each day."

Installation process will ebb and flow

NFL coaches know they can't blindly follow a set plan for their play installation process. While they'll certainly have a plan in place, they know it has to be fluid based on how performance looks on the practice field.

"You try to get as many reps as you can," said Daboll. "You obviously limit it to certain things in the spring. There are some things we've repped multiple times. Some things we've only repped a couple of times.

"It's an evolving process based on what guys do well, what they may struggle with. Who is doing what? Where you want to put the person. What one quarterback feels comfortable with versus another. So, there is constant evaluation and communication that goes into it. You get as many reps as you can get. But training camp should be hard physically and it should be hard mentally on everybody because that's what gets you ready for the regular season."

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